The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella and Romeo) novel Chapter 1392

"Can't you take a joke?" Serena snapped, her irritation barely concealed.

Martin reined in his grin, finding her annoyance oddly endearing, "Sorry, my photography skills need some work. I'll do better next time."

"Just make sure you do! And you better start learning how to take pictures like other boyfriends do for their girlfriends!"

Martin was oblivious to the complaint; instead, he latched onto the words "boyfriend" and "girlfriend".

So, in Serena's mind, she already considered him her boyfriend, right? And by default, she saw herself as his girlfriend.

With that thought, a sweet smile crept back onto Martin's face.

They had left too late, and by the time they got to the riverbank, all the private boats were gone.

Other people had booked their boat tickets weeks in advance. Serena was taken aback to learn that a single boat's pricing varied depending on whether you were at the bow, midship, or stern.

"What about sharing a boat with others?" Martin asked the attendant.

"None left either, unless someone is willing to sell their spots to you. Not just private boats, there aren't even individual seats available."

Martin hadn't anticipated the dinner cruise being such a hit. He glanced at Serena, unwilling to let her down, he haggled with other tourists and finally managed to purchase two high-priced tickets at the bow of the boat.

Serena, however, was less than thrilled. Squeezing onto a boat with so many others was beneath her, especially surrounded by ordinary couples, influencers, and families with kids.

For someone of her standing to share space with others, she felt it was a blow to her dignity.

"I'm sorry you're upset," Martin said, not fully aware of the local customs. Fortunately, the dinner was high-quality enough not to give Serena any real cause for complaint.

With the noisy atmosphere around her, Serena felt irritable, but then Martin snapped a photo of her, skillfully capturing just her, the dinner, and the view without any intruders.

"Is this better?" Martin tried to lift her spirits.

"Much better," Serena admitted, scrolling through seven or eight pictures, finally starting to cheer up.